EMEA Graduate training program secures future talent

ASSA ABLOY’s graduate trainee program allows young professionals to hone their skills, gain practical experience in a work environment and possibly forge a lasting connection with the company.

Gemma Lamont from the UK is one of 10 trainees in ASSA ABLOY’s 18-month EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) graduate trainee program. She applied for the program while completing an MA degree in business and economics in Glasgow. After spending six months with Yale EMEA in its UK offices, she transferred to Rome to work on a catalogue-generator tool. Her next move will be to Poland, where she will be part of the Yale central distribution project for a couple of months before she returns to the UK.

“It’s been very interesting so far, and I’ve definitely learned a lot,” Gemma says. She stays in close contact with the other trainees in the program, all of whom have different specializations. “We get together every couple of months and share experiences,” she says. “It’s quite a steep learning curve, but in terms of career development the program is number one. It combines hands-on project development with educational aspects so that we can put ourselves in line for managerial positions in the future.”

Bill Harding, VP of human resources in the EMEA division, says the program aims to secure future talent. “As we move more into electronic- and IT-related solutions, we are clearly looking for graduates in those disciplines,” he says. “But we are also looking for people in marketing, sales, supply chain, mechanical engineering and finance. The purpose is to strengthen our talent pipeline.”